O n f e r e n c e

Bio data 
Ghada Awada
:
 
I hold Ph.D. in International Relations with the highest distinction from 
HEP 
–CEDS ,Paris. I’m a Ph.D. Candidate in the Depa
rtment of English and German 
Studies in Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain. I taught and gave many workshops and 
different courses at many universities. I acted as AUB Consultant in 2012 and 2013.I 
have an extensive experience in teaching and coordination at Public Secondary Schools. I 
have authored 10 law and English books so far. I was awarded many appreciation 
certificates by the Ministry of Education (2004 ), Lebanese university (2005)and 
Teaching Excellence trophy by LAU (2013).
Abir Abdallah
: I’m currently a PHD student in the Department of English and German 
Studies in Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain. I have been teaching English as a first 
foreign language for thirteen years. I’m presently a teacher and a coordinator in a 
secondary pu
blic school in Beirut. Moreover, I’m an instructor in the language center of 
the faculty of Sciences in the Lebanese University. I also teach ESP to MA students there. 
I have a teaching diploma in intermediate classes, a teaching diploma in secondary 
class
es and a master’s degree in English language and literature.
Abstract 
This study aims at investigating the efficiency of web quests in enhancing the 8th 
graders' descriptive writing. The 8th graders in the Lebanese public schools in general 
usually demonstrate poor writing skills. Consequently, they don't show motivation to 
write in English. The subjects of the study are one control group (n=22) and one 
experimental group (n=23) enrolled in grade eight in a public school in Beirut and whose 
ages range from thirteen to fifteen years old. The purpose of the study is to examine 
whether or not the web quest helps 8th graders achieve unity and coherence in writing 
descriptive paragraphs and to examine if the motivation towards writing is increased 
after using the web quest. The data are collected by means of two questionnaires, the 
subjects’ writings, and a web quest. The first questionnaire is administered to the 
subjects before using the web quest to investigate their level of motivation towards 
writing, and the second questionnaire is administered to the subjects after using the web 
quest for three months to find out if their motivation towards writing changes or not. 
Moreover, the subjects are asked to write before using the web quest and after using it 
to examine any significant difference in their descriptive writings regarding the two 
elements, unity and coherence. The SPSS program is used in analyzing the collected 
data. Based on a pilot study conducted earlier by the two researchers, the prospective 
findings of the study shall convey that the experimental group produces unified and 
coherent writings. More importantly, the experimental group is expected to reveal great 
motivation towards writing. The researchers' prospective recommendations will be mainly 
urging the teachers of all levels to use the web quests as an indispensable tool requested 
to enhance students’ motivation and to
better their descriptive writing skills.

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-53- 
2014 CALL Conference 
LINGUAPOLIS
www.antwerpcall.be